Founded: 1972
Headquarters: Powell , Ohio , USA
Unique Note: One of only two teams, the other being Brumos, to compete in every Daytona Prototype race since the 2003 season finale.
Principals: Steve and Martha Southard ( Powell , Ohio )
Drivers: Shane Lewis (Jupiter, Fla. ), Bill Lester ( Atlanta )
Team Manager: Mason Meredith
Team Engineer: Buddy Fey
Crew Chief: Rich Howe
Major Accomplishments:
Grand-Am DP Starts: 55 (thru 2007)
Best Rolex Series Finish: 3 rd – Long Beach , Calif. (2006) and Phoenix Int’l Raceway (2006)
Best Rolex Series Finish of 2007: 4 th – Miller Motorsports Park
Honors: Jim Truman Driver ' s Award (2005 with driver Darius Grala)
Southard Motorsports, based in Powell , Ohio , is owned by Steve and Martha Southard. The program made its professional debut in 2003 and is one of only two teams to have participated in every Grand American Rolex Daytona Prototype Sports Car Series race since the inaugural season’s final event. Since that time, Southard Motorsports has won the inaugural Jim Truman Driver ' s Award, scored two podium finishes ( Long Beach and Phoenix in 2006) and closed the 2007 season with a fourth-place at Miller Motorsports Park . Multiple-time Grand-Am sanctioned race winner Shane Lewis (Jupiter, Fla. ) returns to the driving effort as he has since 2004 while NASCAR veteran Bill Lester ( Atlanta , Ga. ) joins the operation for the first time in 2008.
Steve Southard began racing in 1972 and was competing professionally on the SCCA National level and in IMSA competition by 1976. He has personally raced in the Rolex 24 At Daytona fives times and the 12 Hours of Sebring five times. Southard made his Grand-Am debut in 2002 in the GT class and raced in the Daytona Prototype as recently as 2004. Southard Motorsports and Steve Southard are well known for their successful campaign of the Coca-Cola Porsche 935 and 962 in historic and vintage racing.
The familiar red, white and blue livery of Southard Motorsports adorns a Riley chassis. Southard is one of only two teams to be powered by the Lexus V8 in Daytona Prototypes.
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